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Sunday 30 December 2007

Just Visiting ..........?

Whether you have just stumbled upon this site or have searched for it, PLEASE stop by again or better still go to the bottom of the page and click SUBSCIBE.
Either way , I would welcome ANY comments.

Scrubs - The Polyphonic Spree - Light and Day.

This combines 2 of my fav things .....scrubs and the Polyphonic Spree. So why not !!!

Colin Hay - Down Under

I saw Colin play this in Edinburgh in October 2007. If EVER you can get a chance to see the " man at work " do so !!!!!!

Saturday 29 December 2007

Thoughts for the New Year !

With New Year only a couple of days away it is that time of year to reflect on the past and more importantly look to the year ahead and what lies before me.
In the Chloanne herd it was a reasonable year, with the highlight being the addition of the Ethel family. Hopefully in years to come she will go on to do great things for Chloanne. Milk yields have been great and even Chloanne Magna Gracious had a better lactation this time round.
Looking ahead, the projected calvings for 2008 at Chloanne are ;

Chloanne Goldwyn Gracious 5/2/08
Chloanne Magna Gracious 5/2/08
Chloanne Spooky Gracious 20/2/08
Frankham Sept Storm Ethel 10/6/08
Chloanne Goldwyn Gracious 2 17/6/08
Chloanne Hershel Gracious 11/8/08

Other animals to get in calve to hopefully calve down in 2008 are

Chloanne Webster Gracious
Chloanne Addison Gracious
Chloanne Hanno Gracious
Chloanne Tulip Gracious
Chloanne Goldwyn Gracious 3

So as you can see , there is great potential for this coming year to be the busiest yet. A nice run of heifer calves would be nice and that is top of my New Year wish list.
Happy New Year to all !!!!!!

Tuesday 25 December 2007

MERRY CHRISTMAS !

Merry Christmas to everyone and anyone who ever takes the time to read this blog.I promise to try to update it on a more regular basis.
Today is pretty much like most other days on the farm as the cows still need to be milked and fed etc.
The cows don't know any different and their day certainly doesn't change.
The herd are doing well and the Chloanne cows are all performing on track.
Sadly though, I don't think that Moet Formation Gracious will ever get in calf and so she will have to go in the new year. It will be the end of an era as she has been an amazing animal, not just for me, but in the main herd as well. However, looking ahead, there are many Gracious decendants on the groung now and genetically , they should out perform the grand old lady.
Chloanne Hershel Gracious was confirmed in calf the other day so that is good news.
Chloanne Magna Gracious, Chloanne Spooky Gracious and Chloanne Goldwyn Gracious are all due to calve around the beginning of Feb so that should start to fill the tank with Chloanne milk.
I hope everyone has a great time today and have a Happy New Year !!!!

Sunday 16 December 2007

Busy week, Stressfull weekend.......

Well last week was pretty much the wek from hell. Problems and calamitys just kept lining up to challenge me .
Chloanne Addison Gracious decided to calve on Thursday morning . Not only was she rude enough to give me a bull calf , but then she decided to lie down and get bloat. By the time I was there she was massive and I had to call for help just to get her up and have a bloody large burp ! Then on Friday it was the herd competition. This went fairly okay except I don't think the judge liked the cow family, the progeny group or the herd in general.
However he did like the cow I put forward, Chloanne Webster Gracious, who I must say was looking like perfection.
So this weekend I have been off .So why does it NEVER feel like that.
This time I get a phone call at 7.45 to tell me of a cow that is lying flat out having just had a dead calf.When I go to investigate , I find ANOTHER cow down with milk fever and she has not calved. In the process of all this happening , I just happen to ask is Chloanne Addison Gracious is okay, to be told that she is absoulutely fine .
Since the vet is now coming to the other cows later that day, I arrange for the vet to see Gracious. Wrll to cut a long story short, she had a temperature of 106 and was not really a happy bunny.
She is now on antibiotics and is looking much brighter already.
Ah, the joys of the weekend off.!!!!!!!!

Friday 7 December 2007

BBC NEWS | Business | Supermarkets admit milk price fix

BBC NEWS | Business | Supermarkets admit milk price fix

A Watched Cow Never Calves !

The more I watch Chloanne Addison Gracious, the more she is hell bent on hanging on as long as possible. I am enduring many broken nights of sleep just to keep an eye on her. Chloanne Tulip Gracious has settled into the herd and is really starting to perform rather well.
Sadly I had to "say goodbye" to Frankham Romper Lizzie on Tuesday.I bought her at a sale back in April and I was hopefull of big things from her.
However there must have been a problem with her as she has never managed to get in calf and worse than that , the vet said she never would, so after stiking a deal with the auctioneers and the seller, hopefully I shouldn't be out of pocket when the final cheque arrives.

Sunday 2 December 2007

One down, One to go!

Well at last 303 (Chloanne Tulip Gracious) has calved. She has had a little red Hereford heifer. She is looking amazing and hopefully she will go on to produce the goods in the milking parlour as well.
Chloanne Addison Gracious has been looking on with interest and she won't be far away from calving her self.
Frankham Sept Storm Ethel was diagnosed as being pregnant again so she will calve round about July next year.
So all in all it's a busy old time and hopefully all the calvings to come will be successful ones.
Next year it is our pleasure to be hosting the Northumbria Holstein Breeders Club annual barbeque as well as the final stock judging of the season. This will take place on the 11th May.
Also I am about to take up the role of vice-chairman for the next 2 years so I am really looking forward to that, and then chairman after that !!!!
It is going to be our annual herd competition in 2 weeks time . This will be a scaled down version of the one that was cancelled due to foot and mouth in the summer.
Hopefully I will be able to find something worthy of showing.Fingers crossed !!!!